Towel for Reliably Hanging onto a Fixture

ABSTRACT

A towel that can be stably and reliably hung onto a fixture. The towel comprises an opening that allows for the towel to be hung onto a fixture, and an adjustable perimeter around the opening. The adjustable perimeter can be manipulated to adjust the size and/or shape of the opening. The adjustable perimeter may comprise an elastic material or a draw string. The towel may be hung on a fixture such as a hook, a doorknob, or any other protrusion onto which the opening may be placed.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to towels for hanging onto a fixture.The towels may be any type of towel that can get wet, including beachtowels, bath towels, hand towels, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Towels, such as bath towels or hand towels, require an opportunity todry after they become wet, such as from use. Towels that remain wet forprolonged periods of time create an environment that promotes the growthof bacteria, fungi, and mold. Such growth can result in an unpleasantodor, as well as cause damage to the fibers of the towel. Hence, it isimportant to allow towels to dry once they become wet.

However, due to limitations such as a lack of space or a lack ofavailable fixtures, towels are often unable to adequately dry. Forexample, in urban residences, bathrooms may be small in size, may lacktowel racks, may be shared by more than one person, or a combinationthereof. Towels may have to be hung on fixtures such as hooks ordoorknobs in order to dry, and in some instances multiple towels mayhave to be hung on the same hook. This can result in towels falling offof the fixtures, and/or towels being hung on top of each other; ineither case, there is a risk that the towels do not adequately dry.

For at least these reasons, there is a need for towels that can bestably and reliably hung onto a fixture for drying.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a towel that can be stably and reliablyhung onto a fixture. The present invention also relates to a method ofhanging a towel of the present invention onto a fixture.

Thus, an aspect of the present invention is directed to a towelcomprising an opening that allows for the towel to be hung or fastenedto a fixture, and an adjustable perimeter around the opening. Theopening and adjustable perimeter may be generally within the plane ofthe towel, such that the thickness of the adjustable perimeter isgenerally the same as the thickness of the towel. In some embodiments,the adjustable perimeter may extend outwardly from the plane of thetowel, such that the thickness of the adjustable perimeter may begreater than the thickness of the towel.

The adjustable perimeter may alter the size and/or shape of the opening.In certain embodiments, the adjustable perimeter comprises an elasticmaterial that spans around the opening. The elastic material may bestretched or otherwise manipulated to alter the size and/or shape of theopening. In some embodiments, the adjustable perimeter may comprise a“drawstring” or the like, which can be used to help maintain the openingin a certain size and/or shape. In further embodiments, the adjustableperimeter may comprise two ends that can detach from each other.Detachment of these ends may alter the size and/or shape of the opening,or it may create an inlet from the outside of the towel to the opening.

In embodiments of the invention, the opening and adjustable perimetermay be located within the edges of the towel, such that the opening andadjustable perimeter is surrounded entirely by the towel material.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method ofhanging the towel of the present invention onto a fixture. The methodcomprises manipulating the adjustable perimeter of the towel so that theopening is of appropriate size and shape to fit the towel onto thefixture. In certain embodiments, the fixture may be a hook, a doorknob,or any other protrusion onto which the opening may be placed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made tothe following description and accompanying drawings, as follows:

FIG. I is an example of a towel comprising an opening having anadjustable perimeter in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an example of a towel comprising an opening having anadjustable perimeter in accordance with embodiments of the invention, inwhich the opening and the adjustable perimeter is at the edge of thetowel.

FIG. 3 is a view of an opening and an adjustable perimeter in accordancewith embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cut-away view of an opening and an adjustable perimetercomprising an elastic material in accordance with embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of an opening and an adjustable perimetercomprising a drawstring in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a view of an opening and an adjustable perimeter comprisingtwo ends that are detachable from each other in accordance withembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 is an example of how towels comprising an opening and anadjustable perimeter in accordance with embodiments of the invention maybe used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a towel that can be stably and reliablyhung onto a fixture. The towel comprises an opening with an adjustableperimeter that can adjust the size and/or shape of the opening.

By hanging the towel on a fixture via the opening, the towel ismaintained in a hanging position to facilitate drying without, forexample, the risk of the towel falling onto the ground and/or being in aposition that is not conducive to adequate drying. The opening alsooffers adequate space on the fixture for multiple towels to hangtogether while simultaneously keeping the towels separate enough toallow for efficient drying; otherwise, for multiple towels to be hung onthe same fixture, the towels may be hung on top of each other, whichdoes not allow sufficient spacing for the towels to adequately dry. Inaddition, multiple generic towels on one fixture may become weighteddown and slip off the fixture. The adjustable perimeter allows the userto hang towels on fixtures of a variety of sizes, shapes, andorientations (e.g., hooks). Additionally, the opening may be positionedsuch that it remains discretely disguised when the towel is folded.

Towel

The towel of the present invention is exemplified in FIG. 1. The towel 1comprises edges 2 and a middle 3 that is within the edges 2. The numberof edges 2 will depend on the shape of the towel. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 1, there are four edges 2 since the towel 1 isrectangular.

The towel 1 comprises an opening 4 through which the towel 1 can be hungonto a fixture. The towel 1 also comprises an adjustable perimeter 5surrounding the opening 4.

In certain embodiments, the opening 4 and adjustable perimeter 5 may begenerally within the plane of the towel 1, such that the thickness ofthe adjustable perimeter 5 is generally the same as the thickness of thetowel 1. In some embodiments, the thickness of the adjustable perimeter5 may be greater than the thickness of the towel 1.

The opening 4 may be located in the middle 3 of the towel 1, includingin the center, near one of the edges 2, near the corners, or acombination thereof. In particular embodiments, the opening 4 may belocated in the center of, and close to, a long edge 2 of the towel 1, asdemonstrated in FIG. 1. In certain embodiments, the opening 4 may belocated at an edge 2 of the towel 1, as shown in FIG. 2

The opening 4 and adjustable perimeter 5 according to embodiments of thepresent invention is further illustrated in FIG. 3. The adjustableperimeter 5 comprises an outer edge 6, an inner edge 7, a first surface8 and a second surface (not shown) opposite the first plane 8. Thiscreates an enclosed pocket or space 9 within the adjustable perimeter 5defined by the outer edge 6, the inner edge 7, the first surface 8, andthe second surface. The outer edge 6 may be sewn or otherwise attachedto the middle 3 of the towel 1. The inner edge 7 of the adjustableperimeter 5 is adjacent to the opening 4.

The size and shape of the opening 4 may be altered by manipulating theadjustable perimeter 5. For example, by applying a force on theadjustable perimeter 5 (such as a radial force on the inner edge 7 ofthe adjustable perimeter 5) or by stretching the towel 1 itself, theopening 4 may be enlarged.

In some embodiments, the adjustable perimeter 5 may comprise an elasticmaterial 10 that spans around the opening 4 within the enclosed pocket9, as shown in FIG. 4. The elastic material 10 may stretch to permit theopening 4 to change in size and/or shape. The elastic material 10 maycomprise a natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or other like materialsknown in the art.

In embodiments of the invention, the adjustable perimeter 5 may comprisea string, rope, or the like 11, that spans around the opening 4, asshown in FIG. 5. The majority of the string 11 may be within theenclosed pocket 9 while two small openings 12 in the first surface 8and/or second surface of the adjustable perimeter 5 allow the ends ofthe string 11 to be outside of the enclosed pocket 9 (not shown). Theresult resembles a draw string associated with the adjustable perimeter5. In some embodiments, the string 11 may be continuous without ends(not shown), such that the part of the string outside of the enclosedpocket 9 (not shown) is a loop (not shown). The string 11 may bemanipulated to alter the size and/or shape of the opening 4 by, forinstance, pulling and/or tying the string 11. The string 11 may comprisematerials known in the art.

In some embodiments, the adjustable perimeter 5 may comprise a first end12 and a second end 13 as shown in FIG. 6. The first end 12 and thesecond end 13 may be fastened to each other by an attachment 14. Theattachment 14 may comprise Velcro® or the like. The opening may bealtered in size and/or shape by unfastening or detaching the first end12 and the second end 13. In certain embodiments, the detachment loosensthe towel material around the adjustable perimeter 5, which alters thesize and/or shape of the opening 4. In some embodiments, in particularwhen the opening and the adjustable perimeter are at an edge 2 of thetowel 1, detachment creates an inlet from the outside of the towel 1 tothe opening 4. Moreover, in embodiments set forth in FIG. 6, a portionof the first end 12 overlaps with a portion of the second end 13, andthere is an attachment 14 between the overlapping portions. Inalternative embodiments not shown, the first end may contact the secondend with an attachment therebetween, without any portion of the firstend and the second end overlapping.

In its natural state, i.e., when no force is being applied to alter thesize or shape of the opening 4, the size of the opening 4 may depend onthe general size of the towel 1. As examples, for bath towels, the arealsize of the opening 4 may be less than about 100 cm², or less than about50 cm², or less than about 25 cm². For wash towels, the opening 4 may beless than about 15 cm², or less than about 10 cm².

In its natural state, the opening 4 may comprise any shape that isappropriate for hanging on a fixture. For instance, the opening may becircular or polygonal, including shapes such as a circle, oval, square,rectangle, or combinations thereof.

The towel 1 of the present invention may be of various shapes, such assquares or rectangles. The towel may also vary in size. For instance,the towel may be a size appropriate for a beach towel (e.g., about 30inches×70 inches), bath sheet (e.g., about 35 inches×60 inches), bathtowel (e.g., about 27 inches×52 inches), hand towel (e.g., about 16inches×30 inches), dish towel (e.g., about 25 inches×14 inches),fingertip towel (e.g., about 11 inches×18 inches), or wash towel (e.g.,about 13 inches×13 inches).

The towel 1 can be made of cotton, such as Egyptian cotton, MicroCotton, Pima cotton, or Turkish cotton. The cotton may be blended with othermaterials, such as polyester, lycra, etc. The towel 1 may also be madeof silk or any other suitable natural fiber, such as Bamboo, orsynthetic fiber. In some embodiments, the towel 1 comprises terrycloth.The towel 1 may also be made of other like materials known in the art.

The adjustable perimeter 5 may comprise the same material as the rest ofthe towel 1. In some embodiments, portions of the inner edge 7 of theadjustable perimeter 5 may comprise a material that has a greatercoefficient of friction, which can help maintain the towel 1 on thefixture.

Methods of Use

The present invention also relates to a method of hanging a towelaccording to the present invention onto a fixture. The method comprisesaltering the size and/or shape of the opening by manipulating theadjustable perimeter so that the opening can fit onto the fixture. Inembodiments of the invention, the manipulation of the adjustableperimeter may comprise applying a radial force, at least in part, ontothe inner edge of the adjustable perimeter in order to change the sizeand/or shape of the opening. In certain embodiments, the manipulation ofthe adjustable perimeter may comprise applying force onto the rest ofthe towel such that the opening is coerced onto the fixture. In someembodiments where the adjustable perimeter of the towel comprises adrawstring, the manipulation of the adjustable perimeter may compriseloosening and/or tightening of the drawstring, and optionally tying theends of the drawstring once the towel is placed on the fixture. Incertain embodiments where the adjustable perimeter comprises two endsthat may be detached from each other, the manipulation of the adjustableperimeter may comprise detaching the ends to arrange the fixtureinto/through the opening, and optionally reattaching the ends around thefixture.

A result of hanging the towel 1 on a fixture 15 is exemplified in FIG.7.

The fixture for use with the present invention may be any physical itemonto which a towel can be hung. For instance, the fixture may be a hook,including wooden hooks, decorative hooks, etc.; a doorknob; or any otherprotrusion onto which a towel may be hung to dry.

Having thus described in detail embodiments of the present invention, itis to be understood that the invention defined by the above paragraphsis not to be limited to particular details set forth in the abovedescription as many apparent variations thereof are possible withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A towel for hanging onto a fixture, comprising:(a) an opening for the towel to be hung on the fixture; and (b) anadjustable perimeter around the opening.
 2. The towel of claim 1,wherein the adjustable perimeter may be manipulated to alter theopening's size, shape, or a combination thereof.
 3. The towel of claim2, wherein the adjustable perimeter comprises an elastic material. 4.The towel of claim 2, wherein the adjustable perimeter comprises adrawstring.
 5. The towel of claim 2, wherein the adjustable perimetercomprises two ends that can be detached from each other.
 6. The towel ofclaim 1, wherein the opening is located in the middle of the towel. 7.The towel of claim 1, wherein the opening is located in the corner ofthe towel.
 8. The towel of claim 1, wherein the towel is a bath towel.9. The towel of claim 1, wherein the opening and the adjustableperimeter are within the plane of the towel.
 10. The towel of claim 1,wherein the adjustable perimeter comprises a material that is the sameas the towel.
 11. A towel for hanging onto a fixture, comprising: (a) anopening for the towel to be hung on the fixture; and (b) an adjustableperimeter around the opening, wherein the adjustable perimeter comprisesan elastic material; wherein the opening and the adjustable perimeterare within the plane of the towel.
 12. The towel of claim 11, whereinthe elastic material comprises a natural rubber or a synthetic rubber.13. The towel of claim 11, wherein the opening is located in the middleof the towel.
 14. The towel of claim 11, wherein the opening is locatedin the corner of the towel.
 15. The towel of claim 11, wherein the towelis a bath towel.
 16. A method of hanging a towel onto a fixturecomprising an opening with an adjustable perimeter around thereof, themethod comprising altering the opening's size, shape, or a combinationthereof, to fit the opening of the towel onto the fixture.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the opening's size, shape, or a combinationthereof, is altered by manipulating the adjustable perimeter.
 18. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the fixture is a hook or doorknob.
 19. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the adjustable perimeter comprises anelastic material.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the adjustableperimeter comprises a drawstring.